Golden Haloed Angel
by Merks
Summary: There's just something special about that Uzumaki boy. He has... a magnetic personality... and I find that I can't stop thinking about him. GaaNaru HIATUS Author Note inside.
1. Nightscene

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto, and this story is a perfect example of why.

**AN:** Well, the original plot of this story wasn't going anywhere so it's been modified. Now it's up to you how it ends. Will it be sweet? Will it be cruel? Well, we'll just have to see. But don't you worry, it's not **too** different.

Clouds blanketed the sky in a thick grey haze, the air brisk and cool. A young adult ran tan fingers over sleeveless arms, shivering slightly as a breeze whipped by. "Naruto?" Uchiha Sasuke asked, watching his friend shiver again. "Do you want my coat?"

"N-no…" The boy protested, taking a long sip of his coffee and leaning back in his chair. The two were seated at the outside tables of the local café, drinking and holding a rather pleasant conversation. Alas, the weather was far from kind.

"Now, as I had been saying, I know a girl you might be interested in." Sasuke took a small bite of his cupcake, chocolate frosting smeared across his chin.

Naruto gagged. When Sasuke had told him he had something to talk about, he had no idea that _this_ is what he wanted to talk about. He wasn't sure if he wanted to tell Sasuke that he didn't think he liked women anymore. "No, Sasuke, I'm fine single."

"Well, I already told her you'd go out with her, so you're kind of screwed."

"So much for friendship." Naruto mumbled, polishing off the rest of his coffee. No more had the final drops of the caffeinated liquid run down his throat did the sky darken and thunder crack.

Sasuke looked to the sky and frowned. "Naruto, I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow and Haruno-chan'll be with me."

Naruto stuck his tongue out at his best friend, missing the dark eyed stared directed at him from a few tables over. He placed the wrapper from his bagel inside his empty cup and set it on the edge of the table, pulling out a pencil and paper. He then began to draw.

His picture was of a landscape, a line of trees, dead and decaying ran along the left of the paper, shrouding a fountain with a statue of a deformed Pegasus, one wing completely broken. The water was shaded dark, and ran from a crack at the base of the fountain in little veins to a rose bush on the other side of the paper. There was a figure standing by a cobblestone road, cloaked as though death would be, a mangled staff clutched with bony fingers. Old English letters scrawled themselves across the page reading, "Nightscene".

He smiled, putting the pencil away and staring at the picture for a moment more. The same stare from the distant table moved down to the notebook the beholder was writing in, adding a few lines before closing it and putting it away. The figure stood, leaving silently. A lone cup of cocoa sat where he had once been.

Naruto stretched, placing the picture in his folder and backpacking it, standing on his own two feet and leaving. He had one more errand to run before he could happily return home and confine himself in his bedroom, coloring his black and white pictures until sleep overcame him.

The bell rang when he opened the door to the shop and he was greeted with a loud shout. "Naruto!" Yamanaka Ino cried, running to hug her friend tightly. "It's been weeks!"

Naruto smiled softly. "Nnn, hello to you too Ino." He chuckled, prying her off of him and moving away. "I simply came to pick up the bread I ordered this morning."

"That was you?" Ino blinked prettily, causing Naruto to roll his eyes.

"Hai." He tapped his foot momentarily. "And I don't have much time. It looks like rain." Ino nodded, bounding to the other side of the counter to fetch Naruto's favorite sweet rye bread.

"Here you are!" She handed him the paper bag and he stared at her.

"Why the hell are you so chipper today?" Naruto asked her, and her eyes darted around.

"Can you keep a secret?" She whispered over the counter.

Naruto knew he'd never tell a soul, as he simply wasn't the gossiping type. "You know I can."

"I have a date!" She chimed under her breath, and Naruto shook his head.

"Who is it this time?" He asked.

Ino, who was about to answer, was interrupted by another crash of thunder and the soft pitter-patter of rain on the sidewalk. "I'll tell you later, you should probably head home now."

Naruto nodded, not really liking the rain. He paid for his bread, bid his friend a quick goodbye, and stepped outside. There was a soft crack of thunder, and it then began to hail, pelting Naruto's shoulders with small balls of ice.

He stepped back into the store. "On second thought, I'll wait here."

He took a seat on one of the plush cushions, taking out another piece of paper and drawing the café he and Sasuke had been at earlier. He drew each person, including the haunting sea foam eyes of a redhead a few tables back. Naruto was an observant man, and noticed things about strangers that most didn't. But he also wasn't very good at figuring out the blatantly obvious.

Minutes later, Ino took a seat with him, now on her break. She watched him draw, marveling at his ability to get the anatomy of a person correct. She watched as Naruto defined the lines of his and Sasuke's shirts, watched him gently shade the steam rising from his coffee, the sharp contours of the strangers faces, especially the one who's eyes were visible. She watched him draw the clouds in the sky, puffy and filled to the brim with water. She watched the sign above the café look as though it was swaying with the same breeze that ruffled their hair. The thing that Ino liked most was the small necklace that the stranger with red hair wore. It was a thin chain with a pendant of a kanji, reading 'ai', or 'love'.

"That's really good Naruto…" she breathed, watching as he finished it and placed it in his folder.

"Thanks Ino." Naruto smiled, glancing out the window and sighing at the hail still falling from the sky. "So, who is it that you're dating?" He asked her, and her smile grew.

"Guess."

"Um… Shikamaru?" He tried.

"No! I hate that lazy asshole!" She cried, cringing at the cold stare her boss gave her.

"Umm, Lee?" He guessed this time.

"Lee? No, no, I would never date Lee." She told him.

"Then who?" Naruto was tired of guessing.

"I'm going to go on a date with Chouji. I'd been ignoring him because he's pretty overweight, but he's a kind guy."

Naruto blinked. "You've gotten kinder and less shallow, Ino… What brought that about?"

Ino laughed softly. "I finally realized that it's not just about the looks."

"What a turn-around!" Naruto cheered jokingly, earning himself a smack on the arm.

"So Naruto, who are you dating these days?" Ino asked him.

He sighed. "Sasuke set me up on a blind date."

"Oh?" Ino grinned, ready to laugh if she knew her. "Who?"  
"Some girl named Haruno Sakura." He told her, and her expression darkened.

"Oh… have fun, I suppose…"

Naruto was confused, but he ignored it anyways. The hail had stopped for a few minutes now, so he stood up. "I'll see you later, kay?"

Ino nodded blankly, going back to work without a word.

He headed home, humming softly to himself. Once in the door, he rudely kicked off his shoes and snickered when he heard one bounce off the TV.

He meandered into the kitchen and fixed himself a cup of coca, and plopped down on his bed and turned on his music, digging a box of colored pencils out from under his bed. He began to color both the pictures he had drawn today, still humming the same song softly to himself, even as his radio played in the background.

**Owari**  
Review, and I **mean** it.


	2. Musical Clothes

**Disclaimer:** I believe we've established that Naruto doesn't belong to me. I also don't own (in order): Build God, Then We'll Talk by Panic! At the Disco, Señor, Señora, Señorita by Miyavi, Neo Ark by Phantasmagoria, Unknown Zero Distance by Phantasmagoria, Kyomu no Naka de Yuugi by Malice Mizer or The Fight Song by Marylin Manson.

_It's these substandard motels on the on the corner of 4th and Freemont Street. Appealing , only because they are just that un-appealing. Any practiced catholic would cross themselves upon entering. The rooms have a hint of asbestos and maybe a just dash of formaldehyde, and the habit of _"decomposing right before your very eyes… along with the people inside..." Naruto's voice graced the morning air as he stood, singing along to the song still playing. Colored pencils rolled off his lap and hit the floor with soft clinks.

He stretched, the hem of his shirt brushing across his stomach and tickling the tip of his naval. He kicked the covers from around his feet and shuffled to his bathroom, sticking his toothbrush in his mouth as he got out the toothpaste. Soon his teeth were coated in frothy foam, giving him the appearance of a rabid animal. He rinsed his mouth and chuckled at his bed-head, stripping down and stepping into the shower. Life seemed so simple.

When he was finished, his hair smelled of strawberries. After running a brush through his hair a few times, he nodded and went to get dressed, pausing for a moment in the hallway to shake his ass a little bit. Walking past his stereo, he turned the volume knob until Miyavi blared, the bass shaking his bedroom walls.

(1) _Nani wo kakusou senyor-ita, watashi koso ga - 1, 2, step, step by step - ikichi mo shitataru ii otoko…_

He put on a polo shirt and took it off not even three seconds later, gagging as he tossed it at his door. The next shirt to go on was a simple black tee, which he paired with jeans and sighed, taking both off and leaving him in his tangerine boxers.

(2) _Onozomi to araba hone no zui to made – 1, 2, step, step by step - gojiman no kiba wo meshiagare…_

Next his tried out a red tank top over a long-sleeved fishnet shirt, complete with a leather cuff and a studded bracelet. He wore black pants with checkered patches and black boots. He looked at himself in his mirror before stripping down to the blank canvas known as his skin.

(3) _Aa... tsuki ni terasare aojiroku hikaru kubisuji ni sotto shikai no KISU wo…_

Next to go on was a purple knit sweater, complete with khaki shorts and brown dress shoes. He laughed, but quickly undressed. After a brief lapse in judgment he found himself wearing his boxers and cowboy boots. He topped the outfit off with a cowboy hat and burst out laughing.

(4) _Demo naze darou, mune no oku dokoka konna ni mo itamu no wa…_

Naruto soon found himself gazing at a very effeminate version of himself, swaying his hips back and forth and watching the sundress dance at his knees. He shed the feminine clothing and placed it back in his closet, finally settling on a black tank top covered by a hunting orange hoodie, olive green pants and a pair of black converse on the lower half of his body. A black belt kept the loose article at his waist, and deep pockets housed his money, house and car keys.

He shut off his music and locked his door, skipping to his car with a muffin in one hand. A blueberry muffin, to be exact. He slipped another CD into his cars player and cranked that music, rolling down his windows just to add to the obnoxiousness of Phantasmagoria's Neo Ark. He knew his neighbors hated him, his choice of music and how loud he decided to play it, and he thrived on that.

He pulled into the driveway at Sasuke's house and switched off the music, knowing Sasukes brother hated it that loud. He didn't even bother getting out of his car, as soon his raven-haired friend sat in the passengers seat. "So Naruto," Sasuke began through a mouthful of Fruit Loops, only to have Naruto flick his forehead as he backed out of the driveway.

"No talking with food in your mouth." He said, then took a bite of his muffin. "Now continue."

"As I had been saying, are you ready to meet Haruno-chan?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "I can't believe I let you do this…"

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Too bad." and Naruto cranked his music again, the tail end of Neo Ark startling Sasuke to the bone.

After about a half hour of driving and really crappy directions on Sasuke's part, Naruto finally maneuvered his car into the driveway of a yellow painted house. Sasuke got out of the car as Naruto switched his beloved Visual Kei off. Shortly after that Sasuke was leading a pink haired girl to his car.

"Haruno-chan, meet Naruto. Naruto, this is Haruno-chan."

"Sakura is fine, Naruto-kun." The girl spoke, her pink dress bouncing at her knees. Sasuke directed her to the back of the car, resuming his place next to Naruto. "Where to?"

"I was thinking of first finding food, then taking you to your choice of several places I have picked out, ending with a simple movie. But first, I've gotta drop Sasuke here off at McDonalds."

"Why McDonalds? Can't Sasuke-kun come with us?" She looked a little dejected when Naruto spared her a glance via the rearview window.

"He has to work, otherwise I'd be making him accompany us." Naruto replied as he turned onto a secluded road, attempting to weave his way out of the forest Sakura conveniently lived on the other side of.

"He works at McDonalds?" There were nods. "What do you do Naruto-kun?"

Naruto beamed at her, looking briefly over his shoulder. "I'm an artist. I've been told I can draw really well, so I draw things for money. Friends are either free or really cheap, where some companies have paid me big bucks for some things. I love to draw, so it's an awesome career!"

Sakura smiled softly, directing her attention out the window as Naruto finally cleared the trees. "So Sakura-chan, what do you do?" She turned her head back when Naruto asked her a return question.

"Oh. I work at a gas station. A little odd, isn't it?" She giggled softly and Sasuke cringed. He hated that laugh.

After much more conversation on Naruto and Sakuras part, they finally pulled up in front of a McDonalds, and Sasuke didn't dawdle in the car any longer than he needed to. Sakura migrated to the front seat, and they were off again. "Where to?" Naruto knew where he'd love to go, but he was treating Sakura to a date, be it his idea or not. He was the type to adhere to manners.

"Is a sushi and sashimi bar alright? I've been craving it for a while…" Sakura asked, looking at him.

He nodded. "Sure. Then, for reference as to which shop to go to, what would you like to do afterwards?" He softly turned on his music, letting more Phantasmagoria gently tumble through the car.

She thought for a few minutes, listening to Unknown Zero Distance with a slightly bitter expression before sighing. "I don't know. I have a few errands to run, so we could just turn that into a date. Like, I have to get some clothes, and a few groceries…"

Naruto beamed. "Perfect! I need to pick up some things, and I can always entertain myself at clothes outlets... Okay! Then it's a movie, I pick Sasuke up from work and then we take you home…"

"Sounds like a plan." She was silent for a couple of seconds before clearing her throat. "Can we turn this music off? It's bothering me…"

"Eh? Oh, sure." Naruto reluctantly turned it off, and the rest of the ride passed in silence.

Their meal was not much better, most of the time spent eating rather than socializing. When they did speak, it was either to pass the wasabi or soy sauce. It wasn't that they were annoyed with each other, just that the two were concentrating a bit too closely on their food. Fresh air would probably aid their tied tongues.

Naruto had parked his car nearby, knowing that their second destination was within walking distance and that the fresh air would do them good. "So, what sort of clothing do you need exactly..?" Naruto asked her as they walked down the sidewalk, holding hands simply. He probably should've asked before, but it was too late now.

"Shirts, skirts and maybe a dress or two." She told him. "Sorry I'll be at a girls store. You can wait and then we can go find something you want…" She tried to be nice.

Naruto smiled brightly and was about to answer when his cell phone rang. Kyomu no Naka de Yuugi began to play and he sighed, answering his phone. "Ino?" Sakura's expression darkened. "Hold on, slow down… What happened? Oh! Alright, I'll be right there. No, tell Kiba to stay put and not to touch anything. Put ice on his leg or something. Well, if he refuses to let you, tell him I say that I'll brain him when I get there. And next time, don't let Kiba touch it, okay? Alright. See you in a bit, I have to inform Sasuke and take Sakura home… Oh, you've told him already? Okay. Be there in no more than a half an hour."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I can get home myself. I still have to get my things, and then I can take the bus home. Sorry about your friend, Naruto-kun. Hope he's okay."

"Sakura-chan, I don't-" He started, but she had already left. "Oh well." His drive to Ino's house was hasty, and he raced in her front door, only to be tackled back out of it by Kiba.

"Naruto!" He cried, whimpering as his jaggedly limp leg collided with the pavement when he landed on Naruto. There were shouts from inside, including a nice dose of profanity from Ino. "I was hoping you'd get here soon! Ino's been manhandling my poor, innocent leg!"

Naruto sighed. "It's your own fault for messing around with the exercise equipment. While it improves everyone else's fitness, it's bad for your health." He carefully stood and pulled Kiba up, working on helping him back into the house without hurting his leg much more.

"I'm innocent. I was looking at it, and it started, sending me flying backwards off of it."

"You were standing on it..?" Kiba nodded, earning himself a smack to the head. "You really are an idiot."

Kiba whined. "You jerk. You don't strike an injured man, it's in the law!"

Naruto rolled his eyes, setting Kiba on the couch and lifting the bag of ice off the coffee table. "Keep this on your leg or I'll kill you." He threatened, going into the kitchen to get a cup of water.

Returning, he sat on one of the plush cushions near Kiba and began to lecture him on safety. Kiba looked discarded and sighed, reaching over and popping a piece of candy from the dish on Ino's coffee table in his mouth. After he managed to ignore the majority of Naruto's speech, he was free to do as he wished as long as he stayed put.

Naruto left shortly after to grab some groceries and pick Sasuke up, taking his friend home while spilling not only the contents of the blind date but the reasons why he would never let Sasuke do that again. Ever. They talked and laughed, and Sasuke purposely cranked Naruto's music when he got home, just to piss Itachi off.

The blond collapsed on his bed without taking anything but his shoes off and lay there for a moment before practically repeating his routine that morning, only in reverse. He stripped to his boxers and dove into his bed, laughing softly and turning on his stereo, lowering his volume until it was a dull throb against his headboard.

"Nothing suffocates you more than the passing of everyday human events. And isolation is the oxygen mask you make your children breath it to survive…" _I'm not a slave to a God that doesn't exist. I'm not a slave to a world that doesn't give a shit. And when we were good, You just closed your eyes, So when we are bad, We'll scar your minds…_

**Owari  
**Be **sure** to leave a review. Seriously.

**AN: **You'll notice the occupations are different. This story is different than the last one, believe me. Some things **will** still happen, but don't count on a lot of it being here. Just read and you'll understand.

(1)You seem to be hiding Señorita, I'm just a good guy dripping with blood…  
(2) If you wish I shall feast on you with my great fangs to the marrow of your bones…  
(3) Aa... A soft kiss to vow to your pale neck gleaming in the moonlight…  
(4) But why, this pain somewhere within my chest…


	3. Hellish Waltz

**Disclaimer**: If I owned Naruto, you'd know.

Today was another gloomy day, a chilly breeze clinging to the street lamps that were lit on the dark evening. McDonalds was buzzing, dinner on Saturdays always the busiest time. "I'd like a turnover."

Sasuke looked at his next customer, recognizing him from somewhere, although unable to place his face. "What flavor?" He asked, still staring.

"Cherry turnover." The strangers face was blank as he returned Sasuke's stare, his voice blunt and brisk. He held a notebook in his arms that had post-its sticking from the majority of its pages.

Sasuke smiled, plugging in his order. "Is that all?" There was a short nod and a grunt of approval. "That'll be $1.07."

The man paid, took his warm turnover with a softly uttered thanks, and took the farthest seat from the workers as possible, opening his notebook.

He then took the turnover from its package and placed it in his mouth, biting off a small chunk and pulling a pencil from the spiral of the notebook. He had opened to a blank page that had a simple heading in the margin: "Poem #134".  
He began to write, his pencil flowing over the paper in delicate scrawls. After a few lines, he set his pencil down and took another thoughtful bite of his turnover. A gentle vibration in his pocket called his attention, and he pulled out his phone, a small kitsune charm hanging from it. "Hello?"

"Gaara!" His best friend Lees voice boomed, and he held the phone away from his ear.

"What did I tell you about being so loud?" He growled darkly.

"Eheheh, sorry Gaara. But you will never believe it! I am hosting a party and you are going to come. Before you protest, I want you to go straight to my house after this. If you do not, there shall be consequences. Got it?"

Gaara looked a little upset and he sighed. "Fine." And he hung up without another word. Returning to his poem and turnover, he let his thoughts roam. God, was Lee _annoying_…

He finished his turnover in record time and packed up. If Lee was going to force him into attending a party that he himself was hosting, he wasn't going un-prepared. That would be the stupidest thing he'd done in ages, especially knowing Lee like he did.

So he was simple and drove home, silently entering his house and taking a nap. He needed rest if he was going to have to deal with Lee and his friends all in one concentrated spot.

-

"Gaara!" Lee came running at said redhead and Gaara stopped in his forward movement, not ten feet from Lee's front door.

"Jump on me and I'll kill you." He hissed.

"Worth the risk!" Lee shouted, tackling his friend to the ground.

There was laughter from Naruto and a limping Kiba as they came up the sidewalk. "Don't attack innocent people Lee, that'll just add to the neighbors claim that you're rabid." Naruto spoke as he rather rudely pushed Kiba in the door. "He's your problem now Ino!" He shouted inside before going over to Lee and the silent Gaara.

"You are mean!" Lee whined as Naruto pulled him off of Gaara.

Gaara ignored the hand that Naruto then offered him, standing up of his own accord and walking away.

Naruto shrugged and followed both Lee and Gaara into the red-painted house Lee fondly called his home, past the giant pine trees and up the concrete steps. The inside was colored to match the outside, green walls and red furnishings. Naruto claimed a seat next to the immobile Kiba on the loveseat and stole a sip of his friends calpis(1). The Inuzuka boy grumbled but ignored him, continuing his talk with Shino.

In the kitchen, Lee was driving Gaara insane with his constant bantering about one thing or another. First it started with this pink-haired chick that sounded really annoying to Gaara, and it eventually escalated to the fact that Gaara should get himself a woman. As soon as those words left Lees mouth, he knew that this would be a long and bothersome party.

"Gaara! You are not listening. I am trying to give you some wonderful advice!" Lee called to Gaara, who was seated at the four chair table and tightly clenching his cup of water. "What I think you need is someone to go out with! Someone to share your youthful stories with!"

Gaara's grip on his water slipped and he nearly spilled the clear liquid on his lap. "Lee! You don't understand! I don't want a woman to go out with!" His voice rose with each word until he was shouting at Lee. "I like men!"

Lee was quiet for a moment before nodding. "Then why did you not say so?" Gaara led his head fall to the table with a loud thump as Lee continued. "What we now must do is find you a man to go out with and share the stories of your-"

"The stories of my youth. I've got it Lee. Can you please just drop it?" His voice was amazingly gentle as he tilted his head back and let the remnants of his water slide down his throat.

"But Gaara…"

"Drop it Lee, don't you dare make me say it again. I'm going into the living room. If you say one more thing about it all night, I will not hesitate to kick you."

The young man with the bowl-cut black hair let a breathy sigh escape his lips, nodding shortly. "Fine. I will do as you ask on one condition."

"What?" Gaara snarled, stopping halfway out the door.

"Tomorrow you must let me try to set you up with someone."

Gaara felt his eyes widen. He ignored Lee, giving him only a grunt in reply. This was **not** his idea of a good party. A blind date and a close encounter with his subject of observation… His bed and a cup of vodka were sounding really good to him right now.

"My dear rose. You are all of me in this world. In now, the past and the future, I sing for you."(2) Naruto sang along with the music that now reverberated through the plaster walls of the house. (Though it was only moments ago that it was a soft background sound.)

"Oh, I love this song!" Someone, presumably Sasuke(4), shouted just as Gaara re-entered the living room.

"Then come sing and dance with me!" Naruto called playfully, teasingly beckoning Sasuke to him with a finger.

"This is a party…" Ino stated while rolling her eyes, tiredly watching Sasuke and Naruto attempted to waltz through Asagi's(3) screaming.

Another silent spectator was Gaara, who was watching the blond sway his hips and pretend to feel Kiba up. He watched as Sasuke returned the play, rubbing himself against Naruto in a playful manner. Ino gave a snort of disgust, leaving the scene and passing the slightly gaping red head on her way out.

He watched as Naruto let his mouth open slightly in feigned pleasure as Sasuke dipped, moving the two across the carpet and simultaneously rubbing his groin against the jean clad leg of his good friend. He continued to watch as Naruto's head was thrown back and Sasuke's lips latched onto the blondes neck, the two no longer pretending.

He was unable to look away like most of the other people were when Naruto panted and pulled Sasuke up to kiss him. The two, locked in each others arms, parted from the kiss with a thin trail of saliva linking them together.

Soon, Naruto was panting softly and staring at the light on the ceiling while Sasuke's lips ravaged the skin of his neck and shoulders, moving fabric to reveal more tanned skin. Gaara couldn't look away, and the more he watched the tighter he could feel his pants get.

Naruto moaned when Sasuke's knee parted his legs and rubbed the bulge located between his legs, his breath coming in short gasps. Gaara walked past them hurriedly, stiffening when he heard Naruto let out another series of breathy moans. _Shit…_

**Owari  
**Review, my loves. **Seriously**.

(1) Calpis is a Japanese milk-based soft drink.  
(2) The song is Yami yori kurai doukoku no A CAPPELLA to bara yori akai jounetsu no ARIAby D.  
(3) Asagi is the vocalist of D. Simple as that.  
(4) I'm sure that if you read the old version of this you know that Sasuke really likes Naruto. If you don't, now you do, and that scene should make sense.


	4. Fragile and Fierce

**Disclaimer**: I own Naruto not.

**AN**: Note of warning, this chapter skips around a lot.

"Naruto, I had no idea you were into men." Said boy choked on the remains of his milk, whimpering and muttering about how he swore he felt it sloshing around in his lungs.

"You asshole! We're in public!" Naruto shouted, sinking lower in his seat due to the stares directed his way. "Can't this wait?"

"It's friendly banter, dobe." Sasuke cooed seductively, and Naruto blushed pink.

"You're an ass." The blonde cast his gaze downward.

"No, seriously, if you had told me I wouldn't have set you up with Haruno-chan."

"I wasn't sure at that point…" Another sip of the creamy substance, topped with a barely contained mouthful of apple fritter.

"Are you saying she was your deciding point?" Sasuke was amused.

"No, actually, I wasn't fully sure until that incident last night…" Naruto looked away, his blush more than evident on his skin.

"What?" Sasuke was a little surprised, not expecting those words to come from his best friends mouth.

"I wasn't sure until you practically ravished me last night…" Naruto then latched his lips onto the corner of his fritter, looking at the pastry instead of Sasuke.

The Uchiha was stunned. He had lusted after Naruto forever, loving the way that he looked when he pouted, the way he sounded when he laughed, his sense of humor and amazing ability to empathize with others, and now here he was hearing that he had a shot that he never thought he would have. "Naruto, can I ask you a question..?"

The blonde looked at his friend silently, a thin line of milk clinging to the skin above his upper lip. "Hmm?"

"Can… I would like to… You know what? Never mind." Sasuke stood, blushing as he packed up his books, slinging his messenger bad over his shoulder and hurrying off. Naruto was left to dumbly stare before shrugging and finishing his food, completely oblivious to the fact that a certain redhead watched him still.

-

"Naruto! Are you listening to me?"

"Yes, Lee, now get on with the lecture." Naruto sighed, turning his stovetop burner on to let the water for his soup boil. He then moved on to chopping the ox tail to its appropriate size.

"I cannot believe that you and Sasuke would do such a thing! The two of you and your mindless ravishing has ruined my party. People left, Naruto, people left!"

_Chop, chop, chop._ "Why aren't you yelling at Sasuke?" Naruto asked, putting the last of the meat into cold water. He cleaned the cutting board, sighing breathily.

"He is but at work." Lee stated matter-of-factly. Naruto should've known better than to ask.

"So you call and bitch at me…" Naruto mused to himself, haphazardly chopping the green onions and garlic and laying them to the side. "I wasn't expecting that to happen Lee." He stated.

"Sure you were not. You could not have thought of a more casual way to let our friends know that you were into men?" Lee sounded flustered.

Naruto turned to the boiling pot, dropping the ox tail into it and turning up the heat. "Lee, I've got approximately three hours of boiling ahead of me, therefore, you can lecture me then. Why not come over and do it in person?" He stretched, leaving the kitchen and plopping on his sofa.

"What on earth are you making?"

"Kkori Gomtang(1)."

Lee's mouth watered. "Share with a good friend?"

Naruto heard himself sigh. "Fine. Just get your green-clad butt over here." Lee chuckled as he hung up the phone, and Naruto growled, tossing his handset on the pillow behind him, forcing himself to rise and return to his stove, turning the heat on the burner down. "So monotonous…" He whined, letting his eyes close as he sagged against the wall. He was silent a moment longer before a soft peal of boredom creased the air.

"Music…," he breathed, meandering to the stereo placed along the windowless wall in the living room. "Music is always good." He flipped it on, and Pride(2) flooded the house.

-

There was the soft sound of dishes clinking in the sink, and a satisfied sigh. "Wherever did you learn to cook like that?" Lee asked, stretching as he sprawled carelessly on his friends couch.

"I have no idea. Now shush, I have dishes to do, and you're distracting me." The blonde smiled to himself, placing the dish towel over his shoulder. He had just submerged his hands in the soapy water when his doorbell rang.

"I will get it!" Lee cheered, bounding past the kitchen and down the hall. He opened the door and grinned when he saw Gaara standing there, peeved beyond all reason.

He pushed past Lee, not paying attention to where he was, and swiveled in the entry way to look at Lee. "Where the hell am I, and what was your motive bringing me here?"

"Lee? Who was at the door? I swear to god that if you invited that Neji boy over to my house, I'll wring your neck." Naruto's voice wafted in from the kitchen, and Gaara stiffened. "Lee? Answer me or I'll attack you with the spatula."

"It is a friend you met at my party. You remember Gaara, ne?" Lee dragged the mostly unwilling redhead into Naruto's view.

Gaara blushed when he saw that Naruto's dish-washing attire consisted of a button up sleeveless shirt, carelessly unbuttoned to reveal his honey colored abdomen to the world, and baggy shorts that hung dangerously low on his hips, revealing the waistband of his boxers. "Yes I remember him, he's the one you mauled on the front lawn."

Naruto's words pulled Gaara from his state of awe, and Lee laughed. "True."

Naruto pulled the dishrag from his shoulder and smiled softly at Gaara, handing a partially dry hand as a greeting. "Nice to formally meet you." He spoke with a smile.

Gaara was reluctant to take his hand, but he did, shaking it meekly. "Nice to meet you as well…"

"The two of you make yourselves comfortable in the living room, and I'll finish the dishes. Sound okay?"

"Like a plan." Lee dragged Gaara into the other room, forcing him down onto the sofa.

"Why the hell am I here?" hissed Gaara, slamming the notebook he brought with him onto the blondes coffee table.

"I have a plan. You like him, do you not?"

Gaara growled in frustration. "No Lee! I forbid you to meddle in my personal life!"

"At the party you said…"

"I should've-" he calmed down, "I should've known better than that, okay Lee? Let me do as I wish with my own life?"

Lee sighed. "Fine, but you are at least befriending him, so do not think you can go anywhere."

Gaara was about to retort when soft singing could be heard from the kitchen. It was Naruto, and they instantly hushed to hear it.

"How long I will exist among dead stars," _clink_, "How long I will be a game without end," he paused to curse softly as he was nearly sliced by the knife he used to make the soup, "I will be waiting, traveling to endless skies," _clink_, "Choked into the seas of your forgetfulness…"(3)

"Wow…" Lee breathed, staring at the wall ahead of him. "That was…"

"Amazing…" Gaara finished the sentence, stunned. He had no idea that Naruto had a voice that was so… angelic… _How fitting…_

They were silent until Naruto's laughter startled both of them. He was standing in the archway that led to the hall. "Why do the two of you look so bemused?" He asked, the chuckle still evident as he spoke.

"We heard you singing." Lee was blatant, causing Naruto to choke. "You are really rather good."

Naruto sighed. "I don't like eavesdroppers." He stated, but smiled. "Sasuke says I should join some sort of competition…"

That sparked something in Lees eyes. "Oh yes… Sasuke should be off of work by now. Naruto, may I use your telephone?"

Naruto nodded, plopping into his recliner with a sigh. "So tired…" The silence lapsed for a moment before Naruto seemed to remember that he had other company besides Lee. "So, Gaara… What have you been up to?"

Gaara sighed at Naruto's attempt at small talk. "Just writing poetry and keeping a busy schedule trying to pry my brother from every poor girl he meets."

Naruto nodded, stretching. "You write poetry?" He asked softly.

"Yeah. Though it's really not that good…"

"May I see some?"

"No!" Even Gaara was caught off guard by the outburst. "Not no, I… don't want anyone seeing it…"

Naruto nodded silently, pressing his palms together. From the other room, you could hear Lee shouting. "No, Sasuke, you know what I am talking about!"

Naruto shook his head, chuckling as he imagined the look on his best friends face. He was snapped from his thoughts when Gaara asked him a question. "What do you do?"

"Oh. I draw pictures and such and sell them to people. It works amazingly well… Plus, on top of that, I work at the sushi bar near the high school, but only part time. Keeps the bills paid."

"You're an artist? May I see some of your drawings?" Gaara asked tentatively, and was surprised to see Naruto stand and run up the stairs. "I'll take that as a yes…"

"These are some of my favorites!" Naruto shouted when he returned, shoving the artwork in Gaara's face.

He looked them over, smiling when he came across one where there was an innocent panda sitting with a bamboo shoot curiously in it's mouth. The background was a waterfall with a gently colored sunset beyond the rocks where the water spilled from. "I love this one." He spoke quietly.

"Keep it."

"Really?" Gaara inwardly sighed – he sounded like an over eager child.

"Sure." And with a gentle smile, Naruto went upstairs to place his other drawings back where he got them.

_Is it really possible to feel this… strongly for a boy I barely know..?_ Gaara let his thoughts roam freely as he gazed at the panda with an awestruck expression. _Yes, it quite possibly is…_

-

"Yes, yes, I know. Bye Lee, Gaara." Naruto shut his front door and leaned against it for a moment before deciding to make himself a sundae. He meandered into the kitchen and took the tub of vanilla ice cream from the freezer, lobbing a few good-sized scoops into a bowl and topping it with chocolate syrup, sprinkles, cherry and strawberry condiments and a few peanuts.

Walking to the living room, he saw a notebook on his coffee table that he didn't remember leaving there, and he lifted it, the bowl of sugary coldness balanced in his lap. The cover was simple black, but it had tons of stickers over it, some colored, some not. One was a kitsune, colored with the most vibrant orange, red eyes staring absently. Opening it to the first page, he read all that was written there.

_All poems herein are sole property of Gaara.  
Stealing these poems will result in a bashing of some kind.  
I trust that you will respect these boundaries, and, if you like what you read, ask me for duplication.  
Thank you, and please give positive feedback.  
"The soul of a poet is both fragile and fierce."_

Naruto smiled and closed it. He was going to honor Gaara's previously expressed wished of him not reading them. He set his bowl down, lifting the phone and dialing for Lee.

"Hello?"

"Lee, you still in your car?"

"Yeah, why?"  
"Is Gaara with you?" Naruto put a spoon covered in syrup and sprinkles into his mouth.

"Yes he is."

"Come back here. He left his poetry notebook." He balanced a sticky peanut on his nose, laughing as it rolled down his chest, stopping in his naval. He plucked it up and tossed it into his mouth.

"Okay. We will be there in a bit." And Lee hung up.

"Ahh, the sweet pleasures of ice cream nirvana…" Naruto cooed, licking the spoon clean before taking a huge glob and shoving it into his mouth.

Whence he was halfway done with his bowl, boredly poking patterns in syrup on his abdomen, Gaara came bursting in the door, stopping when he saw Naruto using his index finger to draw a little swirl around his belly button. "My… uh… notebook?"

Naruto gestured to the table by his feet. "And besides the disclaimer on the front page, it remains unread."

"Thank you. I'll, uh… be going now…"

Naruto nodded, sticking another peanut in his naval. "See ya."

Gaara continued to watch as a bit of cherry flavored goop joined the peanut and Naruto used his spoon to drizzle some mostly melted ice cream over it. He laughed softly and poked at the peanut before topping it with a sprinkle. "Naruto, may I ask what in the blue blazes you're doing?"

"Body art." And the smile that Naruto gave Gaara had him stumbling out the door and into the light rain.

**Owari**  
Mmm, I'm so sorry about the wait, my loves. Writers block is a calloused thing.

(1) Kkori Gomtang is a Korean dish, known as Ox-tail soup.  
(2) The song was Pride by HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR. I was listening to that song while typing this...  
(3)The song is 'My Angel' by On Thorns I Lay.


	5. Carnival of Horror

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Naruto, I'd be concentrating on messing with the televised and serialized lives instead of these. And I don't own the Dir en Grey song, either.  
**AN:** Fair warning, Hidan may be really OOC. I know that not any of them are really as they would be in the show, but Hidan is a little… strange.

Bright and early on a warm Saturday morning, the phones in the Uchiha household rang, setting off a soft groan and a large dose of profanity. "God damn it, fucking telephone… SASUKE! GET THE PHONE!" Itachi shouted, pulling a pillow over his head

"It's Hidan." Sasuke was looming over his elder brothers bed moments later, phone in hand.

"Of course it is…" he sighed, taking the hand set and sighing. "What the hell do you want Hidan?" He spared a glance at the clock near his bed, moaning loudly as he noted that it was barely seven AM.

"I have horrible news. My cousin is in town for a few days." Hidan spoke.

"What in all eleven hells does this have to do with me?" Itachi bit in reply, unaware that his younger brother was listening in the doorway.

"I'm forcing you to come with me. I have to spend time with him, and I'm not doing it alone. And you don't get to argue, I'm not giving you a single choice in the matter."

"No way in hell."

"I said no_ fucking_ arguments!" Snarled the voice on the line, and Itachi growled in reply.

"It's not an argument. It's a statement. A fact. Simple information. I most certainly will not." He turned, sitting up and noticing the younger sibling still in his doorway. "But, I can give you something better than my company."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "What are you plotting?"

"I agree with your- oh. Perfect!" Hidan cheered, and Sasuke knew he was paling.

"Then it's settled." Itachi spoke with a sigh, listening for a moment before hanging up with a rude: "Fuck you," directed towards his best friend.

Sasuke sighed, dodging the handset when it was tossed at him. "What did you do?"

"Get ready. You're going to be picked up in two hours by Hidan. By threat of blackmail and torture, you're spending the day with him and his cousin. To make it more interesting and, I quote, he said 'tell him to invite that one blonde kid that chucked Deidara's car keys off the overpass on the high way. I like that kid.' So try and bring Naruto." He waved Sasuke off, putting the pillow back over his head. "Now leave me, my mistress sleep calls me."

The next twenty minutes was spent with Sasuke attempting to stir Naruto from his state of death-like sleep. On the fifteenth call, there was a sign of life. "Nnn. Sasuke? What's wrong?" Naruto's clearly tired voice asked.

He explained his situation, and received a sigh. "Please Naruto?"

Silence. More silence. Then, finally, "Fine."

"Thank you! You need to be over in an hour, no more, alright?"

"Yes, yes, alright." And then he hung up.

Sasuke sighed, going to take a shower. "On my day off, no less…" He grumbled, going about his routine.

-

"I'm coming in, so don't nobody be naked!" A chipper sounding Naruto spoke as he entered Sasuke's house, wearing a black Psycho le Cemu tee and jeans.

Sasuke was seated on his bed, putting on his shoes. He wore a plain blue tank top with a black sweater and black cargo pants. "Hidan should be here in ten minutes. He called saying he was coming earlier. We even came up with a plan to piss Itachi off. Here, I'll let you in on it."

"This should be good." Naruto commented with a grin, taking a seat on the floor and listening intently.

-

_Wake up you're dead_

_Doing meaningless shit over and over_

_I'm just a third-rated star covered in blood_

_See the prince on the rocking horse, his polished face looks cool_

_I'm just gonna spill my guts on you_

_Under the name of Justice_

_You can't break my soul_

_Under the name of Justice_

_Kill yourself_

_Think, you moron_

_Fall out of line you cockroach_

_Right, left, front, and back, it overflows with despair and pain_

_They say this anger, this emotion, and this passion is all a lie_

_Wither…_

_I'm not even trying to justify myself_

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS SHIT?!" Itachi could be heard throughout the house, even though the three other occupants were standing next to the cranked stereo in the living room, playing the song 'Clever Sleazoid'(1).

"Told you it would work."

"Hidan, cranking a symphony would piss him off." Sasuke countered.

"Which is why music like this works much better. It's louder." The silver haired man grinned. "Now, we've got to go. Can't leave my stupid cousin _Kabuto_(2)," he spit out the name, "waiting in the car for too long."

"We're leaving Itachi!" Sasuke shouted upstairs to his brother, and they left, the music still flooding the house. There was a mangled cry from upstairs as Itachi realized he had to get up if he wanted peace.

-

"So, what's it like being related to the moron of all morons?" Hidan asked Sasuke as they waited in the particularly vulgar traffic.

"Itachi's not so bad." Sasuke replied.

"You're kidding me?"

"No way." He replied, looking over at Naruto, who was singing along to a song in his head. "Naruto."

"What?"

"What are you doing?"

"Being creative. Shut up."

"This is weak conversation." Kabuto commented absently, taking off his glasses and using a cloth to clean them.

Hidan looked over and snorted. "You are such a dork." He bluntly told his cousin, and he promptly ignored the retort that the boy was going to make by directing his attention back to Sasuke.

"Okay. Sasuke, you have your eyes on any girls around town?"

Sasuke remained silent.

"Come on, I won't tell anyone. Well, maybe Deidara. And Kisame. And possibly your brother. But that's it."

"I don't like any girls."

"Oh come on. You're a young man, for crying out _fucking_ loud. You have to be attracted to someone."

"I don't like any girls." Sasuke replied bluntly.

"Sasuke, stop lying. You're bound to- oh." He grinned, looking back via rearview mirror. "So you love the men, eh?"

Sasuke glared at his brothers best friend, but nodded. "Yes."

"So, you like any men around town?" Hidan asked, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel.

"Nope…" Sasuke lied convincingly, and Hidan nodded with a sigh. The rest of their commute passed in silence.

-

"You took a bunch of grown men to an amusement park?" Sasuke asked, gaping at the tall roller coasters and many concession stands.

"We're all like big children." Was Hidans simplistic answer.

"I'd like to think I'm more mature than that." Kabuto mentioned, wandering after a cheering Naruto, who had just discovered the funnel cake vendor.

"Kabuto, you're a goddamn stick in a piece of muddy shit." Hidan replied, pushing his cousin out of the way and rushing after Naruto to drag him to the roller coasters before he put food in his stomach.

"I wanna eat!" Whined the blonde, but the man a few years his senior would have none of it.

"We're riding every ride that might make you puke, gorging ourselves on crappy, overly-expensive food, and then riding the mellow rides and laughing at them!" He announced, forcing everyone into a line.

Hours later, a fatigued Kabuto, starving Naruto and Sasuke, and still over-enthusiastic Hidan were gathered at a table, everyone eating something or another. "Okay, _now_ can we go home?" Kabuto asked, taking his glasses off and cleaning them again.

"No! We have mockery on the agenda! Mockery!" Naruto protested, smoothie spray dotting the leftovers of his pretzel. Sasuke stared strangely at his good friend before shaking his head, gulping down the last of his root beer. "So Hidan, what ride are we going to be dragged on now?" Naruto then asked.

"The patented Tunnel of Looooove!" Hidan faked a swoon, pulling Sasuke into his embrace and beginning to sing in French.

"Good lord…" Kabuto mumbled, ignoring them as strangers near them stopped to stare.

"Let's just get this over with." Sasuke suggested, pulling away from the still serenading Hidan.

"On one condition. I want to talk to Sasuke about something private, so, unfortunately, Naruto, you're with Kabuto."

"Damn." The blonde commented, linking arms with his best friend nonetheless. "Let's get this over with!"

The line was longer than it should've been, and the ride was having some problems. People who wanted to go on it were doing so at their own risk. Of course, Hidan was a daredevil, so they were still stuck into following his demented schedule.

Once in their little boats, Hidan looked at Sasuke and struck up a conversation instantly. "Sasuke, you like Naruto, don't you?"

Sasuke's eyes widened, and he was silent for a moment. "How did you know?

"It's obvious. You keep looking at him with a longing and caring look in your eyes, and that one woman who was checking him out received such a possessive glare from you…"

"It was the man behind her. I wouldn't feel threatened by a woman."

"Oh. Naruto's like you and me, is he?"

"And Itachi." Sasuke stated with a nod.

"Wait, what?! Itachi's gay?!" Hidan gaped. When he received a nod in confirmation from Sasuke, he clapped, standing in the boat like an idiot and having his head ram into the beam they were passing. He crumpled, falling against Sasuke.

"Hidan?!" Sasuke shouted in pure worry, grabbing his brothers friend carefully and shouting when he felt and saw blood in the dim lights. "Someone, stop the ride!" And a minute later, the entire thing came to a grinding halt.

**Meanwhile…**

"You and Hidan really don't like each other, do you?" Naruto asked Kabuto as soon as the two young men were situated in the slightly cramped boat.

"We grew up hating each other. We've matured now, but it's not that different. I don't like him. He doesn't like me." Kabuto was gazing at Naruto, having been unable to take his eyes off the blonde since the car ride.

"Why are you hanging out with him today then?"

"It wasn't my… here. We can still get out now. Want to ditch the ride and meet them at the other end?" Kabuto asked, and Naruto nodded, standing and jumping to the wooden platform, weaving through the line until they were walking alone the sidewalk on the way to the exit of the ride Sasuke and Hidan were on.

"So… why exactly were you and Hidan supposed to spend the day together?" Kabuto glanced at him, eyes darkened by emotions Naruto couldn't place.

"I've been in trouble with the law... I was in jail for a while in my early teens, and my mother doesn't trust me alone anymore. She had business to take care of, and will for a couple of days, so I'll be stuck with Hidan till she gets back."

Naruto stopped, turning to Kabuto and looking at him. "What were you in trouble for?" He asked.

Kabuto turned to face Naruto, taking a step closer. Suddenly, Naruto knew _exactly_ what the look in his eyes was. Lust. Naruto took a step back and stumbled against a wall, gasping as Kabuto continued to advance. "W-what were you in prison for?" Naruto stammered, letting out a dry sob when he felt the wall he was against give way and he tumbled back against the floor.

Kabuto stepped over him, letting the public bathroom door close behind him and the soft click of a lock follow. He loomed over the blonde, a devilish smirk on his face, his eyes smoldering with sick desire. The silver haired man bend down, straddling Naruto's waist and leaning forward, tracing his fingers over the younger mans jaw.

"Rape, Naruto. I was jailed for rape. And right now," he ducked his head and licked from the nape of his neck to his jaw. "I'ma' gonna make you feel good."

**Owari  
**Well, again there was a wait, and there will be in the future as well. But, guess what? Poetry next chapter! (That means Gaara, so yay.)

(1) The song is found on Dir en Grey's album 'The Marrow of a Bone'.

(2) YES, I made Kabuto Hidan's cousin. And YES, I can do that. Why? I'm writing the story.


	6. Pretty in Pink

**I AM SO SORRY! Enjoy? (Oh, and I recycled some poetry. You might recognize it if you read the earlier GHA.) But anyways, here's the update. (Finally! -is stoned and bricked and frying panned and other painful projectile objects-)**

**TWO MONTHS LATER**

Inspiration played a fleeting game. Where one artist couldn't paint, one always could. Naruto had wondered to himself the chances of losing inspiration, and had often deluded himself into believing he was immune. Now, as he stared at the expanse of nearly limitless white before him, he marveled silently, comberly, at his inability to conjure even a single idea.

Had he been drawing for a hobby, he'd have allowed himself leisure time; a book here, an outing there. But the fact that his career was in jeopardy had one predictable outcome: day after day, beer after beer, Naruto continued to think, mulling over the empty canvas in his mind, and he had plenty of garbage bags to show for it.

Throwing a tired glance to the wall clock, Naruto stood and sighed, retrieving another beer from his fridge. He took a seat at the kitchen table and stared, somewhat slackjawed, out the window. _Nothing. Not an idea... Not even a single stroke of a brush..._

A sharp knock on his door startled him from his reverie. Sighing, he shuffled up and pulled open the heavy oak of his door. "Hai?"

Sasuke took in the disheveled look of his best friend and sighed. "You forgot, didn't you?"

"Forgot what?" The blondes hand rasped over a three-day beard, and he yawned, staring quizically at the Uchiha's tuxedo.

Sasuke pushed past him, muttering, "What are we going to do with you?"

"What did I forget?" Naruto pressed, following Sasuke up the stairs to his bedroom. "And what are you doing?" he asked as his raven-haired friend started going through his closet.

"Finding that tux my brother bought you."

"Why?"

"Stop asking questions and go shave!" Sasuke located the suit and set in on the bed. He then found an old pair of loafers and almost laughed. "Why are you still watching me? Go shave; you look like a drunk with that beard."

Naruto glowered childishly, but went to do so anyway. When he returned, Sasuke appraised him, his mouth a straight line. "Run a brush through that mop of hair. Be quick about it."

"Why am I doing this?"

"Less talk, more action. We're late as it is."

"Late for what?" Naruto asked yet again, the bristles of the brush catching on the tangles in his hair.

Sasuke sighed. "Please just concentrate on looking presentable?"

Grumbling, Naruto set the brush down and changed out of his sweats. He then wordlessly put on the suit, watching Sasuke suspiciously as he did so. "Really, Sas-"

"How much have you had to drink this morning?"

Naruto cocked an eyebrow. "Not much... maybe half a beer. Why? Where are we going, damn it?"

"Pop in a tic-tac and put on your shoes. I'll explain in the car." With those parting instructions, Sasuke went back downstairs to the kitchen, dumping out the half-drunk beer and tidying up a bit.

Naruto finally, after a few minutes of waiting, came down the stairs, looking strangely dignified as he struggled with his red silk tie. "A little assistance?"

Sasuke found himself chuckling at the slightly flustered look on the Uzumaki boy's face and nodded, tying it loosely and affixing on it a tie pin. "There."

Smiling brightly, Naruto snagged a rose off his neighbours bush on his way to the car, carefully placing it in his pocket. "Now tell me where we're going."

"One of the Hyuuga boy's socialite parties." Sasuke replied, stepping on the brake as he eased into the busy freeway traffic.

"Then why are we invited?"

"Beats me. Gaara, Lee, even _Kiba_ will be there. I think there's something afoot; it's not like him to be so friendly."

Naruto shrugged, staring out the window.

-

"I'd like to use this time to propose a toast to the new company head, Neji-san!" Kiba, a bit drunk around the edges, held his champange glass high in triumph. The stoic Hyuuga male found that he was smiling despite himself.

The night had progressed amazingly well so far, and everyone, even Gaara were enjoying themselves. There'd been laughter and rejoicing 'out the wazoo' as Kiba had so bluntly put it, and before long, they had the better part of five hours under their belts. Hinata had long since fallen asleep against her boyfriend, the man of the hour watching them thoughtfully. It was taking him time to adjust to the fact that his least favorite of comrades was dating (and likely defiling) his little cousin.

Looking around, he began to take into account the sleepy, sated faces of all his guests, and a thought passed through his head. "Listen up, everybody. Earlier today, I recieved a request, and I figure I should honor that before everyone passes out." He allowed a somewhat generous smile, directing his gaze to Gaara, who flushes a light sheen and looked at his wine glass.

"What's going on?" A somewhat drunk Kankuro slurred, having just poured himself another large glass of wine (much to Neji's displeasure).

"So, without further-"

"Neji. I don't need an introduction." Gaara stood, smiled his terse, hesitant smile, and retrieved his notebook.

Naruto recognized it immedeately. "That's his book of poems." He rather pointlessly stated.

Gaara wore a light, cluttered blush, and kept his eyes downcast ad he organized his pages. "I... uh... okay." he cleared his throat, looking up briefly, the slight blush still on his cheeks. "I write poems."

Light and fluttery laughter permeated the group, and Gaara's blush deepened. "You can do this." His sister whispered, through him a tender smile.

He closed his eyes and cleared his thoughts, continuing on. "I've been writing poems about the same thing for the better part of a year now..." He reopened his eyes, focusing on the foreheads of his audience. "I've never shared **any** of my poems with anyone before, much less these, so this is a new thing for me..." He directed his gaze on a full sweep of the room, and finally settled on his notebook.

"An angel struck down as he follows his calling  
Abused and broken for no reason at all  
The demon what smote him escapes unscathed  
Bystanders standing tall  
Wings that are clipped as he spirals to Earth  
Danger reaching his form  
Emptiness rears its ugly head,  
And keeps him from moving on."

Gaara's blush had since deepened, and he refused to look up, even as the applause died. "This next one is the last one I'll share, I've decided, because this is killing me." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and began to read again.

"I watch  
Colors change from smoky grey to soulless white  
He falls  
Danger lurks just beyond the sunset  
I cry  
Tears foriegn to my cheeks  
I whisper for my angel but it's empty.  
Nowhere do I find his light"

Gaara looked up at this point, and continued as though reciting the lines from memory.

"Illusions that facade themselves around me  
I can see his innocence fall apart  
The dark;  
It creeps into my mind and numbs me  
If he's gone, there's no point in moving on  
I'll forever be, picturing his smile in my mind."

Gaara closed his eyes and paused, seemingly fighting some sort of internal battle, before he continued.

"Hearts stop  
I lose all sense of time  
Silence  
I still ache inside  
My soul is failing on me  
Don't cry  
The words aren't recognized..."

He stopped altogether now and cleared his throat, opening his eyes and staring directly at Naruto. It was now or never.

"Please stop  
I look up and gaze into his eyes  
I'm here  
I speak, and my voice comes out strangled  
I smile,  
I love you, my golden haloed angel..."

-

"I feel like an ass..." Naruto mumbled into his phone, snuggled under the warm covers late that night.

"You should." Sasuke replied, his voice strained with the effort it took for him to stay awake."

"I wish I didn't..."

"Hey, you have good reason to hate yourself. Not many people expect hysterical laughter as the response to a confession of their love." Sasuke turned a tad bitter. "You probably really hurt him."

Naruto sighed. "How is it that I manage to royally fuck up everyone I care abouts life?"

Sasuke wasn't sure if it was the question itself or the torment in his best friends voice, but he shifted in bed so he no longer counted down the minutes until his alarm clock buzzed. "I don't know..." he told him, "but I'd reccomend finding him tomorrow and seeing if Temari and Kankuro will let you live long enough to apologize."

"I don't know if I can make this right, Sasuke..." Naruto whispered, sounding as though he might cry.

Sasuke closed his eyes in the dark, sighing. He truly wished for those bautiful blue eyes to never again shed a tear. "Naruto, I can tell you this much: you have to give it a shot. You're the only one who can make this right." And, nursing a jealousy that made his stomach turn, Sasuke prayed that the blonde succeeded.

--

**Again, I am SO SORRY about the wait.**

**See you next chapter.**


	7. AUTHOR NOTE

**I WROTE MYSELF INTO A HOLE ONCE AGAIN. I love this story, and all my plans for it. I do. The reason I deleted my first attempt was because I hadn't fully shaped some things. And now I'm contemplating doing so again. If I do, it's because I need a fresh slate, and I'm figuring, if I can't make it work for a third time, I'm going to give up completely and concentrate on stronger stories.**

**The only reason I haven't done so is the last time I did, I lost readers. I don't want to do that to you guys again. So, if you have any input for anything, please pitch in. If you would rather I gradually rewrite chapters while trying to move forward, or if you wouldn't mind a deletion/replacement in one sitting, please let me know.**

**I can't promise how long I'll be willing to wait for opinions, and already I'm working on new chapters, and I'm not trying to wrench anyone for reviews or anything of the like...**

**I'm just trying to make this story work... lol**

**So thank you for your time to at least read this, and if you have **_**anything**_** to say, make sure to let me know.**

**And thank you for reading thus far, especially if you read the original and stuck it out through my whole (WHAT IS SHE DOING) process. lol**

**Love you all, darling readers. Wish me luck. ;)**


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